PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF Nigella sativa ON SOME HEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN RATS EXPOSED TO ACRYLAMIDE

Acrylamide (ACR), a well-known toxic substance, is found in heated foods and processed foods at high temperatures. ACR is a neurotoxic and carcinogenic agent that poses a greater risk to human and animal health. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Nigella sativa (NS) oil on some hematological and immunological parameters against ACR-induced toxicity in rats. Male Wistar albino rats (N=32) with an average weight of 358±8.10 grams were divided into four equal groups: control (C), Acrylamide (ACR,40 mg/kg, gavage), Nigella Sativa (NS oil 10 ml/kg, gavage), and Acrylamide + Nigella Sativa (ACR+NS oil).In the blood samples taken from animals, red blood cell (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC) counts, hemoglobin amount, hematocrit value (Htc), platelet (Plt) count, leukocyte percentages and mean red blood cell volume (MCV), mean red blood cell hemoglobin (MCH) and mean red blood hemoglobin were determined together with the concentration of MCHC hemoglobin, alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase (ANAE) positive peripheral blood lymphocyte ratios. A significant decrease in RBC, PLT, HB and HTC levels and lymphocyte percentage, and an increase in WBC count and neutrophil percentage were detected in rats in the ACR group. NS oil applied simultaneously with ACR tended to improve these parameters. These results confirm the effects of ACR on some hematological and immunological parameters and reveal that NS oil has a protective effect against acrylamide-induced toxicity in rats.